Valve removal wrench



June 9, 1953 R. FENNEMA ETAL VALVE REMOVAL WRENCH.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 5, 1948 -4 @Me/240715. c/zwaem @for @ifi/@766620.

R. FENNEMA ET AL June 9, 1953 VALVE REMOVAL WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZD 'c 66029625.' @Jaaa 0 Filed June 5, 1948 Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE REMOVAL WRENCH RichardFennema and George E. Hansen, Chicago, Ill., assignors to` Crane Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application June 5, 1948, Serial No. 31,376

4 Claims.

and that substantial loads could not be applied.

without the danger of distorting or even severing the valve body, the closureor the stern during the course of such removal. In underground in stallations` it is quite desirable to be able to withdraw valves for replacement of parts or for inspection on occasion. The type of wrench forming the subject matter of this invention has been found particularly useful in that it may be made cheaply and yet at the same time it can be easily applied with a minimum amount of effort.

Thus it is one of the more important objects of this invention to provide a removable wrench for valves and the like in which the closure member and stem may be easily removed from the valve body without twisting or distortion and while being able to also apply substantial eort in the event that it becomes necessary to work against considerable friction.

Another obj ect is to provide for a wrench constructionV in which the removal of the valve in cluding. the stem, bonnet and closure means may be accomplished through the casing normally shielding the valve from exposure to the underm ground soil.

Other objects andadvantages will `become more readily apparent upon proceeding with the following description read in light of the accompanying drawings in which Fig. lis a sectional assembly View of the novel wrench embodying our invention applied to a valve preliminary to removal.

2 is a sectional assembly view taken at right angles to the view described in connection with Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4*@ of Fig. 2.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar partsl throughout the several views.

Referring niw to Fig. 1 the valve casing or body I., installed below the ground as shown, is provided with the usual inlet 2 to a convenient source of water supply (not shown). The body has assembled above it in threaded relation a bonnet or outlet portion 3 having the valve seat Il and the pipe conduit outlet as shown in dotted lines 5. Seated against the valve seat, as shown, is the disc valve closure member l preferably threadedly attached to the stem 'i as indicated. The stem, by means not shown, in normal course of installation, provides for the necessary reciprocating movement of the valve closure 6 whereby the valve may be opened or closed as desired, shutting oir or releasing the flow through the outlet 5 from the inlet 2. At its upper end portion, the bodyr I is enlarged to receive the tubular casing 8 which is threadedly received within said enlarged portion as shown. The purpose of the latter casing is to serve jointly as a container for the bonnet member 3 and a portion of the actuating stem hereinafter referred to, thereby to shield the latter members from direct contact with the surrounding soil. At its upper end portion the casing 8 is open as indicated at 9. opening 9 is the top guide member lI which, as shown more clearly in plan in Fig. 4, is provided with the radially extending ribs l2. The top guide II is apertured a-s at i3 to receivethe pipe or tubing il! enclosing the stem 'l and which latter tubing serves as the vertical post or support for the wrench. At its lower end. the pipe M is threaded and received within the open end head or socket l5 of the wrench. As shown more clearly in Fig. 2 the outer portion of the bonnet member 3 is flattened on its sides as at it' so that the wrench head I5 similarly formed interiorly is non-rotatably mounted relative to the bonnet member 3 when placed thereover. prevent relative rotation of the pipe IA. on its threads the weld seal il is preferably used. Adjacent the threaded end portion and within the pipe lll the guide I8 snugly receiving the stem 'l is mounted in non-rotatable relation to the pipe I4. At its upper end the stem 'i is threaded as at i9 and received within the threaded socket as illustrated within the threaded sleeve 2 l. The tubing I d guided within the hub It! of the top guide l I preferably by means of the headless set, screws 2t, positioned as shown more clearly inA Fig. 2.

The set screws 2li are intentionally set tightly into the hub I0 of the member l! so as to frictionally engageV the outer periphery of the pipe I4 thereby permitting the latter members to be rotated together as hereinafter described. It should also be noted that the top guide l l serves asa gauge when thus mounted because its posi- Relatively snugly fitted within the tion longitudinally on the pipe I4 and its projection into the tube 8 will indicate how deeply into the body I the bonnet 3 has projected in forming the valve seat at 4 for the disc 5. To enable the top guide to be rotated, the wrench post or pipe I 4 is provided with the diametrically disposed arms 22, the portion 23 of the sleeve 2| serving as a handle or gripping means for reasons hereinafter set forth in detail.

A lock nut 2l! shouldering at 25 is mounted at the upper end of the sleeve threadedly to permit the desired adjustment for reasons also hereinafter made clear.

The long running threads on the sleeve 2l are intentionally provided in order to permit such adjustment as may be necessary depending upon the depth or distance of the valve within the ground.

Suppose that it is now desired to remove the bonnet member 3 which is threadedly attached to the body I as indicated. Initially the lock nut 24 is rotated to draw the sleeve 2| upwardly, thereby drawing the closure member 6 tightly against the seat 4. Thus the stem I is held substantially rigidly between the seat surface 4 and the shoulder 25 of the tubing I4, the sleeve being hand-gripped at 23 during the course of tightening the lock nut 24 downwardly against the shoulder 25. This provision permits raising of the disc or valve closure member 6 to abut against the valve seat 4. When the disc has been so positioned the pipe or tubing I4 is then rotated by means of the handle 22 thereby causing the bonnet member 3 which is non-rotatably engaged by the socket I5 to be rotated on its threads. the stem I and the closure member 6 is rotated as a unit with the bonnet 3 eliminating any chance for distortion, turning or twisting at the valve seat to cause objectionable tearing. Since the stem is snugly guided by the bushing I8 and the pipe or tubing i4 is relatively snugly guided within the casing 8 by means of the radially extending ribs I2 integral with the top guide II there is no side wobble or twisting. The wrench of course is capable of desirable adjustability by means of the long running threads on the sleeve 2I permitting a secure grip before actual rotation in removing the member 3 commences.

It should of course be apparent that the particular exemplications in which the invention may take form are numerous. Accordingly the invention should therefore be interpreted in light of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A wrench for effecting the simultaneous removal of valve bonnet with a seat, stem, and closure member or the like from underground valves having a tubular extension therefrom to the surface, the combination including an open end socket head for straddling the bonnet, a tubular support member xedly attached to the said socket head, a top guide member non-rota tably mounted on the said tubular support .meme ber and having spaced-apart peripheral portions for snug rotation within the valve tubular extension, a sleeve within the tubular support member and having thread means for engaging an end portion of the valve stem to draw the latter against the bonnet, the said sleeve being threaded exteriorly for a substantial portion of its length to permit axial adjustment of the latter relative to the valve stem when the latter is drawn toward the bonnet, threaded means mounted on the tubular support member and engaging the exteriorly threaded portion of the sleeve for lock- Thus upon rotation of the member 3 i ing the said sleeve against longitudinal movement relative to the tubular support member when the Wrench is actuated to remove the valve bonnet, stem, and closure member, the said sleeve engaging locking means being predeterminately rotatable relative to the tubular support member whereby the closure member may be drawn to the bonnet seat.

2. A wrench for effecting the simultaneous removal of valve bonnet with a seat, stem, and closure member or the like from underground valves having a tubular extension therefrom to the surface, the combination including a socket head for engagement with the valve bonnet, a tubular support member xedly engaging the said socket head and being predeterminately rotatable relative to the said stem, a top guide member nonrotatably mounted relative to the said tubular support member for snug rotation within the valve tubular extension, a threaded sleeve received within the tubular support member and having means for engaging an end portion of the valve stem, the said sleeve being threaded for a substantial portion of its length to allow for extended axial adjustment of the sleeve relative to the valve stem engagement and threaded means engaging the sleeve and tubular support member for locking the said sleeve against longitudinal movement relative to the tubular support member when attached to the valve stem, the said sleeve engaging threaded means upon predetermined rotation drawing said sleeve and stem upwardly to hold the closure member against the bonnet seat.

3. A wrench for effecting the simultaneous removal of valve bonnet with a seat, stem, and closure member or the like from underground valves having a wrench-receiving tubular extension therefrom leading to the surface, the combination including a socket head for engagement with the valve bonnet, a substantially tubular support member fixedly engaging the upper portion of said socket head, a circular top guide member non-rotatably mounted relative to the said tubular support member for combined rotation and axial movement within the valve tubular extension, an internally threaded sleeve within the tubular support member for engaging a threaded end portion of the valve stem, the said sleeve being externally threaded for a substantial portion of its length to allow for axial adjustment of the sleeve relative to the valve closure and stem thereby to draw the latter member against the bonnet and means engaging upper end portions of the sleeve and the tubular support member for holding the said sleeve against longitudinal movement relative to the tubular support member when predeterminately engaged by the valve stem, the said latter sleeve engaging means comprising a member initially rotatable relative to the sleeve and the tubular support member whereby to effect the axial movement of the said sleeve and draw the closure member tightly against the bonnet seat.

4. A wrench comprising telescopically arranged tubular elements for effecting the simultaneous removal of valve bonnet, stem, and closure member or the like from underground valves having a tubular extension to receive the wrench. a socket head for engagement with the bonnet, one of the telescopically arranged elements being a tubular support member xedly engaging the said socket head, the said tubular support member being the external element of the said telescopically arranged tubular elements, a top guide member non-rotatably mounted and adjustably movable axially relative to the said tubular support member for snug rotation within the valve tubular extension, the other telescopically arranged element being a threaded sleeve for engaging an end portion of the valve stem, the said sleeve being threaded for substantially its full length to allow for axial adjustment of the latter relative to the valve stem, the said sleeve having an end extension for a hand grip when adjustably positioning one telesoopioally arranged element axially relative to the other, and a locknut rotatable on said sleeve to predeterminately bear against the tubular support member and draw the latter member upwardly 15 thereby to maintain the said closure member in a seated position relative to the said bonnet.

RICHARD FENNEMA. GEORGE E. HANSEN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 965,054 Weekes July 19, 1910 10 1,895,827 van Hecke Jan. 31, 1933 2,085,119 Penick et al. June 29, 1937 2,231,448 Hooper Feb. 11, 1941 2,250,244 Yanc-ey July 22, 1941 

